The 1982 Liberty Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game held on December 29, 1982 in Memphis, Tennessee at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The game featured the Illinois Fighting Illini, of the Big Ten Conference, and Alabama Crimson Tide, of the SEC. Alabama won the game 21–15.
Alabama entered the game with a 7–4 record, losing their final three games. The team was led by legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant who was coaching his final game after twenty-five years with the program, announcing he would retire and hand over control of the team to Ray Perkins following the game. Bryant's retirement made the Liberty Bowl one of the most covered games that season as many news stations and newspapers sent reporters to cover the game.
Illinois was led by head coach Mike White and quarterback Tony Eason. The team was making their first bowl appearance since 1964, winning all three of their previous bowls.
Read more about 1982 Liberty Bowl: Game, Scoring Summary, Statistical Summary
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